Boston – Vicinity Energy recently announced a long-term partnership with IQHQ, Inc. Vicinity will provide eSteam, its new carbon-free, renewable thermal energy offering to IQHQ to rapidly decarbonize IQHQ’s developments in the Fenway neighborhood district.
Under the agreement, IQHQ’s development at 109 Brookline Avenue will use 100% eSteam for heating, making it one of Boston’s first entirely carbon-neutral buildings. The 305,000sf office and laboratory space is part of IQHQ’s FWD district, a growing life science cluster connecting Kenmore Square with the Longwood Medical Academic Area.
IQHQ is also pursuing eSteam at its Fenway Center development, a mixed-use, transit-oriented life science campus located at the western gateway to Boston. Fenway Center will include nearly 1 million sq. ft. of commercial office and lab space built over the Mass Pike, and will become the anchor of IQHQ’s FWD district.
“At IQHQ, we have a commitment to developing class-A life science districts that provide our tenant, visitors, and communities at large with healthy, resilient, and responsible spaces,” said Jenny Whitson, director, sustainability & ESG for IQHQ. “We are excited to partner with Vicinity Energy to decarbonize the steam serving our projects.”
Vicinity’s expansion into Boston’s Fenway neighborhood marks a significant milestone in Vicinity’s Clean Energy Future plans, and paves the way for more building owners and property managers to leverage eSteam for rapid building decarbonization to combat climate change and meet sustainability goals. Vicinity is the first district energy company in the U.S. to commit to fully decarbonizing its operations, offering renewable thermal energy by installing electric boilers, industrial-scale heat pumps, and thermal storage at its central facilities starting in Boston and Cambridge, with its other districts to follow.
“We are proud to partner with IQHQ as our first carbon-free eSteam customer to reduce their buildings’ carbon emissions and enable IQHQ to achieve their ESG goals while complying with the city’s BERDO 2.0 regulations,” said Bill DiCroce, president and chief executive officer of Vicinity Energy. “This eSteam partnership not only signifies our commitment to a clean energy future, but it also demonstrates the commitment from progressive, innovative industry leaders, like IQHQ, who are committed to lower carbon emissions and to combat climate change.”
Vicinity will begin delivering carbon-free eSteam in 2024.
